Weekly Reading Update 4/8 - 4/16! Better late than never, right?

I know, I know, I'm a couple days late - but I had a lot to get done. Alas, sometimes real life gets in the way of reading - no fun, for sure. 

As always, click the link to get more info about the book!

Well, I finished the Princess Diaries series this week! When I originally read these books years ago, I stopped after book four or five, I think. And I'm not sure how I managed that, because they're just so good. I think re-reading this series was exactly what I needed to boost my spirits. I also made sure to re-read The Royal Wedding (which I reviewed last year!). It was just so much better reading it right after finishing the series. And I totally had to buy them all so I can re-read them whenever I want. So I have a mix of the original hardback covers, mass market paperbacks, and the re-issued new trade paperbacks. And I don't care!

Since I finished the Princess Diaries, I had to find a new series to obsess over - so I finally picked up the Mediator series, also by Meg Cabot. A friend suggested I read this series years ago, and I finally got the chance. I listened to the first two on audio, then had to read the rest because I couldn't wait for the audiobooks to come in from the library. I finished the original books, now I'm just waiting for the new novella to come in (yay library digital collection!), and then I can read the new Mediator book that came out this year, Remembrance! 

And since I was on such a throwback kick with the Princess Diaries, I also re-read Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty. Because really, the only thing that can help me get past my love of Michael Moscovitz is Marcus Flutie. They were as good as I remember. But alas, my copies are worse than I remember - I bought them all second hand, and my copies of Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings, and Perfect Fifths aren't too bad, but books one and two are kind of a mess. I might have to invest in new ones. 

I also read Dragon Soul by Katie MacAlister - another favorite author! I got to review Dragon Soul for Romance Reviews Today, and I loved it. I love all of Katie Mac's books, she just has such an amusing writing style - I end up chuckling throughout the whole book. Dragon Soul is going on my wishlist as well. I own all of Katie MacAlister's books except for the two most recent dragon books (Dragon Storm and Dragon Soul) - but I'm sure I'll find them and add them to my collection soon enough. 

Another read this week was Hate to Love You by Elise Alden. Goodreads recommended this one to me, and my library had a digital copy, so I figured why not. It was definitely... interesting. I can't say I really liked it, but I didn't full on hate it either. Part one (several years in the past), was confusing and awkward. Part two (present day) was better, and reminded me a lot of some of the Harlequins I've read in the past, and enjoyed. But there were still some issues that weren't addressed, and I hate when stand-alones aren't wrapped up completely. 

I also read Lumberjanes volume 3: A Terrible Plan by Noelle Stevenson, and Paper Girls volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan. Both were interesting, and both had dinosaurs, strangely enough. I'm a huge fan of the Lumberjanes series, so I knew that one would be great. But Paper Girls is brand new, so I wasn't sure how it would go. However, I've read a few other comics by Brian K. Vaughan, so I knew it would at least be good, if not completely amazing. I recommend both of these to any comic reader!

I think that's enough for this week, right? I'll see you again soon!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

I wanna name a kid Zen. REVIEW of "Bumped" by Megan McCafferty

Why this book?: Megan McCafferty wrote one of my favorite YA-to-Adult series (Jessica Darling). When I heard she hopped on the Dystopian bandwagon, I was ready and willing to follow her anywhere.

Disclaimer: I received this book from netgalley in exchange for a review.

Type: Young Adult, Dystopian-esque, Teen Pregnancy, Surrogettes, Lingo-riffic, Twins, I sort of want there to be a sequel?, Megan McCafferty knows how to write cool guys.

About the book: The Virus has made everyone over the age of eighteen infertile. So instead of wedded couples having their own children, teenage girls with the prefered features are chosen to be paid Surrogettes. Being pregnant (or "bumping") is the new It Thing for girls, and it can lead to a very promising future, for the surrogette that gets the best deal. Melody has been groomed her entire life to be the perfect surrogette, and it's a real hink her her plans when she finds out she has an identical twin - Harmony. Separated at birth, they never knew about one another until their records were unsealed at sixteen.

While Melody was being set up to bump, Harmony has spent her entire life in Goodside, a Church community. Harmony leaves the only home she's ever known to convince Melody that she must keep her child and get right with God. Or that's what she's told herself anyways. But things start to get difficult when Melody is finally partnered with Jondoe, the worlds best Sperm donor. Now Melody must choose between the life of a Surrogette, and life with her best guy friend Zen, and a whopping case of mistaken identity leaves even the best plans to ruin.
My Review: This book was incredibly tough to summarize, almost as difficult as it was to get through the beginning. Filled to the brim with jargon and slang from this new era, it took me until I was over halfway done with the book to finally get the hang of things. I appreciate the reason for all the slang - teenagers of any generation will and do use plenty of it, but it made for a difficult read. Maybe a dictionary in the back of the book would have been helpful, or to slowly work the audience into the story, then overload them with slang.

It took a while for me to feel any interest in this book, in part because of the overuse of slang and abbreviations, but also because I felt no investment in the characters. By the end I was enjoying the story and the four main teenagers, but getting to that point was difficult. I was almost positive that Melody wouldn't really grow as a character. She surprised me, a little, in the end, but even then, it felt like a surprise that she matured into her own person, not a gradual change.

Despite what I've said, I didn't hate the book. I thought it was a solid "good," as opposed to "great" and "excellent." I really liked the idea of this book. People obsess over watching shows like 16 And Pregnant, and Teen Mom, so a dystopian novel where that is considered okay and even patriotic is something fascinating, interesting, and frankly, something I want to read. I know Megan McCafferty is an excellent author, and has some great stories in her, but this book just fell short for me. The ending was good and kept me reading until way past my bedtime, but I know the slow start and put-downable beginning half is going to be too much for some people.
Recommendation: Fans of dystopian YA will want to check out "Bumped." If you're looking for something different, this is definitely a book you should try.

Cover Loving: Frankly, I love it. I think it's simple and matches the book perfectly.

Final Rating: THREE out of FIVE (3/5). Beginning was a little tough to get through, but I think the ending was worth it. Good, but I think I'm going to wait for a paperback edition.

"Bumped" by Megan McCafferty will be released April 26 - preorder your copy now from Amazon.com! Is this something you would consider reading? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

I want a Marcus Flutie! REVIEW of "Perfect Fifths" by Megan McCafferty

 Why this book?: FYA talked about it ages ago.. and I've been working my way through the five book series since. The final book in the series, I can't believe it's over!

Disclaimer: Bought this book. It's all minez. I did not get it in exchange for a review.

Type: Series, Young Adult to Adult, Ultimate Loner Dude, Complex Relationships, Chick Lit and Romance combine to make a super series, Marry ME Marcus Flutie!+

****WARNING: The rest of this review might contain spoilers if you haven't read the rest of the series. And if you haven't read them - JUST DO IT! Seriously. You'll thank me. ****

About the book: Jessica Darling is super late for her flight. In her hurry to catch the plane on time, she runs into someone. And not just any someone - him - Marcus Flutie. After a rollarcoaster ride of a relationship, and so many years apart, it's more than a little awkward. Having missed her flight and deciding to try flying standby, she manages to save Marcus from being hauled away by security for loitering, and the two end up talking. After this long, can they forget their past and move on, or will everything come flooding back?

Told from alternating points of view, Perfect Fifths is just the ending I needed it to be. It's not perfect, not everything is hunky dorey - but perfect isn't Marcus and Jessica. The entire book goes through one day, the day where Marcus and Jessica reunite, and the sparks fly once again. It was good to see the two remembering old times, talking about how everyone they knew has changed, and how they have grown. And they have. I wasn't a fan of the fourth book, I thought Jessica was a little too self-involved. And Marcus just aggravated me, I think he did that in the third book as well, actually. And with the years apart, Marcus and Jessica grew up enough to realize who they were, what they wanted from life, and how they will fit together.

As I stated, I was happy with this book. It felt right for the character, and for the long, emotional journey the three of us went through to get here. The readers literally got to watch Marcus and Jessica grow up, from highschool, to college, and now into real life. It's hard to review just this book, and now the whole series together, because this book is nothing without the ones before it. I'm sure if someone picked up just this last book, they'd not like it very much. But fans of the series, like myself, probably rejoiced.

Cover Loving: Yes. It fits with the series.

Recommendation: I'm recommending that you all READ THIS SERIES! C'mon, do it. It goes Sloppy Firsts: A Jessica Darling Novel, Second Helpings: A Jessica Darling Novel, Charmed Thirds: A Jessica Darling Novel, Fourth Comings: A Novel (Jessica Darling), and finally Perfect Fifths: A Jessica Darling Novel

Final Rating: FOUR POINT FIVE out of FIVE (4.5/5). I'd give it a perfect rating, but it wasn't a perfect book. It was a GOOD book. It was a GREAT ending. But it wasn't perfect. Jessica and Marcus wouldn't want something perfect, they'd want something RIGHT. They'd want something RIGHT NOW AND...

Want to read this book? Get your copy from Amazon.com. But since you can't read Perfect Fifths without reading the rest, I'm including the link to the entire series - you're welcome.   If you have read the Jessica Darling series, leave a comment and tell me your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~